Amidst the hustle and bustle of busy downtown Chicago Saturday night, Luke's Lobster mimics the feel of the New England countryside. Fresh flowers occupy the mason jars sitting at the center of each table, nostalgic photographs of fisherman, alongside buoys, line the walls. The rustic atmosphere makes you almost forget, for a moment, that you're in the heart of a busy city as opposed to a modest Maine fishery. Ordering your meal up at the counter, decorated with chalk board signs, one can almost taste the salt of ocean.

On our first visit, Mark and I wanted to try it all. Everything from the classic Lobster Roll to the unique Wild Blue Salad made my mouth water. The menu is simple, quite small in size, but offers a variety of delicious options. Beyond the lobster, shrimp and crab are also served on their heavenly warm buttered rolls. They dish up both clam and lobster-corn chowders, along with side options such as Cape Cod chips, side salads and poppy-seed slaw. For just $5 one can also add a half lobster tail to any meal. Luke's does a great job of catering to dietary needs! Many menus items are deemed "gluten friendly" and they also label their vegetarian and dairy free menu items. For an extra $2 any roll can be made gluten free and the wild blue salad is available without lobster for their vegetarian option. Price wise, a trip to Luke's will cost more than your typical dinner of Chick-fil-a or Panera, but the food is well worth it!

After gazing at the chalkboard menu for a solid 20 minutes, we finally decided on Luke's Trio, which features three half rolls topped with shrimp, crab and lobster. We also ordered up a large cup of the Clam Chowder. Although the portion size of the rolls was a little smaller than I expected, they were incredible in taste, and paired with the chowder, filled us both up. Each of the rolls was stuffed full and each bite of the clam chowder had at least one clam, they definitely don't skimp on their meat! The rolls themselves melt in your mouth and the lobster, crab and shrimp all tasted incredibly fresh, bursting with flavor. The classic lobster roll was rich in taste, but the crab and shrimp also stole my heart! Both Mark and I questioned ordering the shrimp, but were surprised with it's flavor.

Overall our first experience at Luke's Lobster was a great one! The atmosphere allowed for a nice break from the busy city life, the staff was helpful and kind, and the food was fantastic. Although I wouldn't consider this an everyday dinner option for penny-savers like me, Mark and I will without a doubt be back for more on a date night soon! I recommend checking out one of their many locations throughout the US! Here's a link: Lukes Lobster (Chicago)

Hope you guys love this new addition to the blog! If you ask any of my friends or family, food is truly a passion of mine. Some people eat to live, I live to eat! Stay up to date with SS by following my socials or subscribing, I'll be making these food reviews a common thing!